Hernial truss.



J. W. BUNKER. I

A HERNIAL TBUSS ,APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 19, 190s. nmmwlm JUNE 5, 1909.

948,30*. 'Patented Feb.8,191o.

f lll/l' Il VIII f/ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTC.

JOI-IN W. BUNKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO BUNKER TRUSS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HERNIAL TRUSS.

Application filed September 19, 1903, Serial No. 173,751.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WV. BUNKER, a citizen of the United States, residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hernial T russes, of which the following is a specitication.

This invention relates to improvements in trusses for the treatment of hernia, and particularly to t-he type designed for double hernia, and it consists in certain peculiarities in the construction thereof substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

One object of the present invention is to provide, for the treatment of double hernia7 a truss, of simple, durable and practical construction, having provision for a wide range of adjustability of the pads upon their support-s and with respect to the distance between them.

A further, and a very important, object of the invention is to provide means for adjusting the distance between the pads which, without sacrificing strength, will permit most delicate adjustments thereof to be made and the parts to be held in adjusted position with maximum efficiency.

These objects are well accomplished by the construct-ion illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a truss for double hernia embodying my present improvements. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section through the same, on the line g/-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line oc-:c of Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the two supporting arms, separated, and Fig. 6 is a plan view of a portion of each of the two arms, showing the same connected and in one position of their relative adjustment.

The same numerals of reference designate the same parts in the several views.

1, 1, designate the pads, which are of suitable size, shape and material. Each pad is provided with a plurality of spring tension devices (hereinafter described) the tension of which is regulated by the belt and crotch straps 2 and 3 by which the truss is attached to the wearer. The spring-tension devices preferably employed, each comprises a wire bent intermediate of its ends to form an outwardly-projecting loop 4, and coiled at the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Renewed June 5, 1909. Serial No. 500,403.

inner end of each limb of said loop to form the springs 5, 5 and having its free ends G, G extended from the springs and arranged to press upon the pad, or upon a plate 7 which is mounted upon said pad in a recess formed by providing the pad with a circumferential flange 8. Each plate 7 also carries a ring 9, or other suitable supporting means, which extends through the coils 5 of the spring tension devices. 10, 10 designate caps each of which has a circumferential flange 11 which projects into the recess of the adjacent pad 1. Thus there is provided upon each pad a chamber, inclosed by the cap and plate 7 carried by said pad and within said chamber is located the series of spring tension devices provided for each pad. The loops 4 of t-he spring tension devices project from said chambers through elongated openings 13 formed in the faces and flanges of the caps. The caps and plates are suitably secured, for example, by means of a post 14 projecting from each pad l through the plate 7 and to the cap 10 on said pad, and screws 15 extending through the caps and each threaded into the end of the adjacent post. The ends of the strap or belt 2 are secured in any suitable manner (preferably by adjust-ably secured hooks) to the outer ends of two of the loops 4- one on each pad-*and one end of each crotch strap 3 is similarly suitably secured to the outer end of each of the other loops 4, while the other ends 0f said crotch straps are suitably secured to the strap or belt 2.

W'ith the construction described, the straps are, in practice, drawn suiiiciently tight to incline the loops 4 and put the springs under such tension that they will press the projecting ends of the tension devices rearward and thus hold the pads firmly and yieldably to the rupture, and when any additional pressure is put upon the straps, such as occurs when the wearer coughs or bends forward, the loops will thereby be pulled outward away from each other, thus increasing the tension of the springs and causing the opposite ends of the tension devices to more firmly press the pads bodily to the ruptures and efficiently hold the same against protrusion, and at the same time, said outward movement of the loops gives the effect of an elongation of the straps so that the pressure of the latter upon the wearer is not increased.

16 and 17 designate two supporting arms for the pads and the parts attached thereto. r1`hese arms are slidably mounted one upon the other, whereby they are relatively adjustable longitudinally to increase or diminish the distance between said pads. One pad and its attached parts are directly supported upon one end of one of said arms, while the other pad and its attached parts are directly supported by the other of said arms.

Each supporting arm is preferably of flat form and each has a head (18 and 19) formed with arc shaped slots (20, 20, 21, 21,) at opposite sides of an axial opening (22, 23). rillhrough the axial openings 22 and 23 the stems of the screws 15 hereinabove referred to extend, and said screws serve to secure the arms 16 and 17 to the respective caps 10. It will beA observed that when the screws 15 are loosened the pads and their attached parts may be adjusted axially around the respective posts 14 to suit the wearer and cause the straps to set properly. Said parts are held in their said adjusted position by means of screws 24 which extend through the respective openings 22 and 28 and into perforations in the caps 10. One of said arms, as 16, has its edges 26 folded lengthwise to receive the edges of the other arm, 17, and said other arm is preferably raised longitudinally along its center to stiffen it and form flanges 27 to be engaged by the edges of said folds 26, whereby the arms are accurately guided in their adjustments and in a most efficient manner against lateral displacement upon each other, during and after their longitudinal adjustment.

Each arm is formed with a series of perforations, of 4which those of one arm are of different number from those of the other arm, and said perforations bear such relation to each other that while a perforation of one arm is fully registered with a perforation of the other arm, other perforations of the arms will be partially registered, so that a very slight additional relative movement of the arms will bring them into full registration. lThus a very delicate adjustment of the arms is provided for without sacrificing strength and said arms may be held with maximum efficiency in their adjusted positions.

It is preferred to provide one of the arms, 16, with a series of three perforations, 2S, located in a line close together and near one end of the arm, and the other arm, 17, with six perforations, 29, which extend approximately along the entire length of the arm. The perforations of the arm 16 are shown as closer together than are those of arm 17.

In the adjustment of the parts, with the number and arrangement of perforations shown, when the arms are extended their fullest extent the perforations contiguous to the free ends of each are registered f see Fig. 6) if now it be desired to adjust the pads the next step toward each other, the arms are moved until the perforation adjacent to the free end of arm 17 is registered with the second perforation of arm 16, at which time the second perforation of said arm 17 will partially overlap the first perforation of arm 16: a very slight adjustment now will bring said second perforation of arm 17 into full registration with the first perforation of the arm 16, and when said adjustment is accomplished the first perforation of said arm 17 will overlap the second and third perforat-ions of arms 16: and a further slight adjustment will bring the first perforation of arm 17 into registration with the third perftration of arm 16, while others of its perforations will overlap perforations in the other arm: a slight further adjustment brings the second. perforation of arm 17 into full registration with the second perforation of arm 16, and also brings the third perforation of arm 17 into partial registration with the first perforation of arm 16, whereby a slightfurther adjustment of the arms relatively to each other brings the third perforation of arm 17 into registration with the first perforation of arm 16 and the second perforation of said arm 17 into partial registration with the third perforation of arm 16, and so on. Thus there is provided a maximum number of very delicate adjustments, and a maximum extent of adjustment, without materially weakening the arms. Moreover, the use of per- K forations, in conjunction with a suitable connecting screw or pin, assures a most rigid connection of the arms in adjusted position. rlhe preferred means for securing the arms in adjusted position comprises a screw 30, thc stem of which extends through the registered perforations, said screw having a head 81 at one end and provided at its other end with a nut 32 which is threaded on its stem, as shown.

To cause either or both of the pads to press either upward or downward, and inward on the rupture, either or both of the arms may be twisted on the dotted lines 33 in the proper direction according with the direction of pressure to be given, so as to cause either or both of the pads to bear an inclined relation to their respective arms.

Having thus described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a truss for double hernia, the combination with a plurality of pads, of means for supporting the same at variable distances from each other, comprising a plurality of arms longitudinally adjustable one upon another and each supporting one of the pads, each of said arms having a plurality of perforations and the perforations in the two arms so i'elated to each otliei' that when two are fully registered others will be partially so, and means extending through the registered perforations of the arms for lixing the same iii adjusted position.

Q. In a truss for double hernia, the combination with a plurality of pads, of means for supporting the same at variable distances from each other, comprising a plurality of arms longitudinally adjustable one upon another and each supporting one of the pads, each of said arms having a plurality ot' closely set perforations, the number of perforations of one arm being diiferent from those otl the other arm and the perforations in the two arms so related to each other that when two aie fully registered others will be partially so, and means extending` through the registered perforations of the arms for fixing the same in adjusted position.

Z3. In a truss for double hernia, the combination with a plurality of pads, of means for supporting the same at variable distances from each other comprising a plurality of arms longitudinally adjustable upon each other, each of said arms having a series of perforations of which the number of pert'orations in one series is less than that in the other series, the perforations in the lesser series more closely set than those in the greater and the pert'orations in the two series so related to each other that when two are fully registered others will be pai'- tially so.

4. In a truss for double hernia, the combination with a plurality of pads, of means for supporting the saine at variable distances apart, comprising a plurality of arms longitudinally adjustable one upon another and eaclisupporting one of the pads, each of said arms having a plurality of perforations and the peitorations in the two arms so related to each other that when two are fully registered others will be partially so, and means i'en'iovably engaged with said arms and adapted to secure them iii adjusted position, having a threaded shank which extends through the fully registered perforations and is provided at each end with a head to engage the contiguous sides of the aim, one

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of said heads being threaded on the shank and adapted to clamp the arms between it and the other head.

5. In a truss for double hernia, the combination with a plurality of pads, of means for supporting the same at variable distances apart, comprising a plurality of telescopically engaged arms each carying one of said pads, one of said arms having a longitudinally extending raised part formed with a series of perforations, and the other similarly having a plurality of perforations and having flanged longitudinal edges which inclose the edges of the irst arm and are adapted to engage the raised part thereof', and prevent lateral displacement of the arms, the perforations in the two arms being so related to each other that when two are registered others will be partially so, and means removably engaged with said arms and adapted to secure them in adjusted position, having a threaded shank which extends through the fully registered perforations and is provided at each end with a head to engage the contiguous sides of the arm, one of said heads being threaded on the shank and adapted to seat upon the raised part of the contiguous arm and clamp the arms between it and the other head.

6. A truss comprising a pair of pads, each provided with an inclosed chamber, spring tension devices mounted in said chambers and having projecting parts which extend through openings in the walls of the same, supporting arms upon which said pads are pivotally mounted, means for securing said pads in adjusted position upon said arms, and straps engaging the projecting parts of said spring tension devices, said arms being slidably engaged with each other between the pads and having means for fixing them in adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN IV. BUN

lVitnesses:

E. IVHITNEY, EMIL F. GENNERT. 

